Cold Soak Overnight Oats
Assembled in the dark before bed, eaten in the dark before walking.
- calories
- 560
- weight
- 4.5 oz
- cal / oz
- 124
- protein
- 15 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 3 min
- cook
- 0 min
- total time
- 3 min
- water
- 250 ml cold
- cost
- $
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Breakfast
- Cold soak
- No cook
- Backpacking
- Thru-hike
- Bikepacking
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Dairy free
- Eat in the bag
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Dump and stir
Ingredients
| Rolled oats | 3/4 cup | not steel cut, they never soften |
|---|---|---|
| Chia seeds | 1 tbsp | |
| Powdered coconut milk | 3 tbsp | |
| Dried fruit | 1/4 cup | mango and cranberry hold up best |
| Cinnamon and brown sugar | 1 tbsp | |
| Salt | a pinch |
Method
- Before bed, pour 250 ml of cold water into the jar with everything in it.
- Shake hard for ten seconds, then leave it in your pack overnight.
- In freezing weather, sleep with the jar in your quilt or you will wake up to a brick.
- Stir and eat cold, or add a splash of hot water if you have a stove going anyway.
Breaking camp is faster when breakfast happened last night. The chia is doing real work here: it thickens the whole thing into a pudding instead of leaving you with oats floating in grey water.
Packing
Mix the dry ingredients into single-serving bags at home. In camp you are pouring one bag, not measuring five things by headlamp.
Variations
- A tablespoon of peanut butter powder adds protein without weight.
- Instant coffee stirred in turns it into breakfast and caffeine at once.